An unforgettable ride on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway toy train that has restarted after 10 months

It makes a dramatic entry. It is early in the morning, the air is nippy, and I am at Mettupalayam Railway Station, thrilled to ride on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway toy train, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005. Train trivia The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is one of three Indian railways which were recognised by UNESCO as ‘outstanding examples of hill railways’. It houses models of of some of the oldest locomotives and coaches used on the Nilgiri mountain route, and other rare artefacts related to the Nilgiri Mountain Railway The first loco, made at Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works Winterthur in Zurich in Switzerland, which pulled the NMR on one of its first rides on the Western Ghats in 1899, is on display. When an Indian gaur shows up, striking a pose amidst the greenery, there are collective sighs all around.The signature whistling, steam and the rustic wooden coaches with long windows take me back in time to the iconic film Sadma featuring Kamal Haasan and Sridevi, where the train features in songs and key scenes.